Breeding Amblyseius Cucumeris Predator Mites

I'm starting to look into and doing mite breeding, hopefully it's going to be simple as warmth, feed, sex room and somewhere to sleep like worms etc etc ... i see tiny bugs love the worm bin so slightly make the same for the mites.


So i added these which came from some sachets off ebay, i was thinking what do they eat ? i googled and got all sorts but one was lavy eggs, they don't eat adult thrips just the eggs, so i thought 'vegetarian' i threw in an apple and some mince meat just incase they change their mind when their hungry ..... warmth, and the bedding is paramount for sexy time .... we evolved from small things, they want what we want and vice verse ... cute little things.

I also added some worm bin castings with tiny bugs and mould on.




Anyways fingers crossed, i got my jewelry loupe magnofier to see the outcome, wish them luck !!

I'v just checked my tub, this is amazings !

So a few months ago i split a sachet of mites and added them to the worm bin, now i just checked my tub in the img above ^^^ and i see all the pred mites on the apple !!

lots of them and they all seem happy .... wish them little things luck !!

i wish i could get pictures, i see them all over these small worms that are on the apple in the tub, one really attacking one on it's back.

Lots of them !!

I think predator mites are cool as shit. Props for colonizing them. I'm afraid I can't add much to the discussion as I've spent more time learning how to kill them than propagating them.
But I'm interested in learning more from your little mite menagerie as they develop.

dannyboy602 said:

I think predator mites are cool as shit. Props for colonizing them. I'm afraid I can't add much to the discussion as I've spent more time learning how to kill them than propagating them.
But I'm interested in learning more from your little mite menagerie as they develop.

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u mean learning how to kill them with pestaside sprays? which kill all of the bugs regardless ?

so you use chems on ur plants ?

wompaa said:

u mean learning how to kill them with pestaside sprays? which kill all of the bugs regardless ?

so you use chems on ur plants ?

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No. I had a sprayer's license and worked for a tree company where I diagnosed and treated plants for pests and disease. So I treated for spider mite and scale, soft bodied insects like aphids and lots of hemlock wooly adelgid. For that I used hort oil.
Indoors I only ever used alcohol for scale and soapy water for soft bodied insects. I was lucky enough to grow Cannabis without any insect problems except gnats but they're real easy to treat.
I would never spray an insecticide on a product I intended to consume/sell.